The blockbuster hit Kirik Party was Paramvah Studios’ first and now the banner is to bring out its second movie. Rakshit Shetty, who has established himself as a filmmaker who pushes boundaries, has decided to let his Kirik Party associate Kiranraj K helm the next from his production house. And, we have refreshing cinema!
Script for the movie titled 777 Charlie, written by Kiranraj, got Rakshit’s nod the day the team celebrated the success of Kirik Party. Kiranraj says, “It was dream come true and to make a film under Paramvah Studios is an honour”.
The film will have Aravinnd Iyer, who played one of the lead characters in Rakshit Shetty’s Kirik Party, as the lead. His co-star will be a labrador named Charlie. According to the director, Rakshit became interested after he heard the unique story line -- a bonding between a dog and his human -- which is the first-of-its-kind in Kannada cinema.
IN PICTURES: Rakshit Shetty's second production is 777 Charlie
The filmmakers have already done a concept-based photo shoot, which captures the bond between Aravinnd’s character and Charlie, and City Express caught hold of the first look.
“Charlie is a dog who escaped from his owner and is now on the streets. He wears a licence number 777. Aravinnd plays the character of a depressed, angry young man, who can’t stand being around any human and likes to live a lonely life. He hates animals, especially dogs, and then Charlie enters his life. How the dog changes his life, and how they bond is what the film is about,” says Kiranraj, who has a reason for roping in Aravinnd for the role.
“The character in the film works in a vehicle manufacturing factory and wears a rugged look, and even the neighbourhood children are scared of him. The role perfectly suited Aravinnd and he came on board,” he says.This will be yet another experimental film for Aravinnd, who is currently shooting for his third film Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja.
777 Charlie will go on floors from next January before which the lab will be trained for three weeks starting October 1. Aravinnd will also spend time with Charlie along with the trainer. “We want the bonding to be real and chemistry between Charlie and Aravinnd will make the movie more convincing,” says Kiranraj.
Kiran says his love for dogs helped him get a better handle over the subject. “In fact, a few scenes in the film will be based on my own life experiences. I am confident that 777 Charlie will be an entertaining film for all ages and will be liked by animal lovers, and those who don’t, might turn into one,” he says.
The film will have music by Nobin Paul and cinematography by Aravinnd Kashyap. Rest of the cast will be finalised before they go on floors. “We are finalising the script and planning to shoot in Madikeri or Chikmangaluru,” he says.
Know the Director
Hailing from Kasargod, Kiranraj K nurtured a love for drama even from childhood. After completing his 10th standard, he reached Mangaluru. Financial trouble at home did not allow him to attend college and he did his graduation through correspondence. He then worked as a waiter in a bar and later became a security guard at a hospital, and did various jobs for five years. But his passion for drama never died. "When I was in school, I used to write my own stories and we would enact it. I slowly started dreaming about coming to Bengaluru and getting into films,” he recollects.
After doing a short course at Star Creators, he went back to his hometown where he did his first tele film Kawala (darkness). He later did a short film Kabina Haalu (Surgarcane Juice), which was widely appreciated and won awards. He also made a documentary on Yakshagana puppets in English and Kannada.
"The first director I came into contact with was Jayatheerta. Later, I worked with Imran Sardhariya for his debut directorial Endendigu. My association with Rishab Shetty began with Ricky, when I worked as an assistant, and followed it with Kirik Party in which I worked as an associate,” says Kiranraj.